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What is the minimum wage in Vermont?

As of January 1, 2015, the minimum wage in Vermont is $9.15 per hour. Vermont has the following increases scheduled: $9.60 an hour in 2016, $10 an hour in 2017, and $10.50 an hour in 2018.

Is the minimum wage different in Vermont for tipped employees?

The FLSA allows employers to pay a lower hourly minimum wage, as long as that wage plus the tips the employee earns adds up to at least the full minimum wage for each hour worked. If not, the employer has to make up the difference. In Vermont, employers can take a tip credit, but only for employees working in hotels, motels, restaurants, and tourist places. Employers may pay these tipped employees an hourly wage of $4.58, as long as the employees' tips bring the total hourly wage up to the state minimum wage.

What are wage and hour laws?

Wage and hour laws set the basic standards for pay and time worked -- covering issues like minimum wage, tips, overtime, meal and rest breaks, what counts as time worked, when you must be paid, things your employer must pay for, and so on.

Where do wage and hour laws come from?

The federal wage and hour law is called the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Most states also have their own wage and hour laws, and some local governments (like cities and counties) do, too. An employer who is subject to more than one law must follow the law that is most generous to the employee. For example, the federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, but employers in states that have set a higher minimum wage must pay the higher amount.

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